Gas turbines are often required to generate electrical power for new industrial plants, or expansion to existing industrial operating plants. On-site generated electrical power may be used to supplement or used in lieu of power from the local electrical operating grid.
Integrated hydrogen production facilities that cogenerate electricity and sometimes also steam are known. For example, Air Products operates an integrated hydrogen/cogeneration facility in Port Arthur, Tex., as described in the article by Robert Peltier, “Port Arthur II Integrated Hydrogen/Cogeneration Facility, Port Arthur, Texas”, in POWER Magazine, 09/15/2007, available online at http://www.powermag.com/port-arthur-ii-integrated-hydrogencogeneration-facility-port-arthur-texas/. At this facility, gas turbine exhaust is divided, with a portion going to a heat recovery steam generator as combustion oxidant where steam is produced, and second portion going to a steam methane reformer as combustion oxidant.
In an earlier publication, Terrible et al. disclose the combination of a gas turbine with a steam methane reformer in the article “Consider using hydrogen plants to cogenerate power needs,” in Hydrocarbon Processing, December 1999. In this article, an embodiment is disclosed where exhaust from a gas turbine enters the radiant section of the reformer. The article states that at 538° C., the gas turbine exhaust still contains 13% oxygen and serves as combustion air to the reformer and that since this stream is hot, reformer fuel consumption is decreased.
Industry desires efficient systems and processes for producing hydrogen and coproducing electrical power.
Industry desires to utilize heat from the exhaust of a gas turbine for improved energy efficiency.
Industry desires reliable operation of hydrogen production systems and processes that are integrated with gas turbines, particularly when the gas turbine unexpectedly shuts down.